1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that records an image on a recording sheet, and in particular to a construction of a sheet-supply tray device that is employed by the image recording apparatus and that accommodates and holds a plurality of recording sheets.
2. Discussion of Related Art
FIG. 12 illustratively shows an internal construction of a conventional ink-jet image recording apparatus disclosed by, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-246907.
In a lower portion of the ink-jet image recording apparatus, there is provided a sheet-supply tray 201 that accommodates a plurality of recording sheets. A sheet-supply roller 202 as a sheet mover is provided above the sheet-supply tray 201. Rotation of the sheet-supply roller 202 results in supplying, from the sheet-supply tray 201, the recording sheets, one by one, in a sheet-supply direction. Each recording sheet is conveyed along a sheet-convey path 203 represented by a two-dot-chain line. An ink-jet recording head 204 is provided midway in the sheet-convey path 203, and a platen 205 is opposed to the ink-jet recording head 204. A drive roller 206 and a presser roller 207 are provided on an upstream side of the ink-jet recording head 204, and cooperate with each other to nip each recording sheet and convey the same toward the recording head 204. While the ink-jet recording head 204 is moved in a scanning direction perpendicular to the drawing sheet of FIG. 12, the recording head 204 eject droplets of ink toward the recording sheet being temporarily positioned on the platen 205, so as to record an image on the recording sheet. A sheet-discharge roller 208 and a presser roller 209 are provided on a downstream side of the ink-jet recording head 204, and cooperate with each other to nip the recording sheet on which the image has been recorded and discharge the same to a sheet-discharge tray 210.
Meanwhile, the ink-jet recording head 204 may record, e.g., a document on an A4-Size ordinary sheet or record, e.g., a picture on an L-Size glossy sheet. That is, the ink-jet recording apparatus may deal with recording sheets of different sorts (e.g., different materials or different sizes), depending upon images to be recorded. However, if, when a first image is recorded on a recording sheet of a first sort and subsequently a second image is recorded on a recording sheet of a different, second sort, a user needs to replace all the recording sheets of the first sort, remaining in the sheet-supply tray 201, with the recording sheets of the second sort, it is very cumbersome for the user.
In addition, even if a single sheet-supply tray may be able to simultaneously accommodate recording sheets of different sorts, it is required that the recording sheets of one sort do not interfere with replenishing of the recording sheets of the other sort, and it is additionally required that when the recording sheets of the other sort is replenished, the recording sheets of the one sort be prevented from dropping out of the sheet-supply tray.